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This article first appeared in the first issue of The Lehigh Valley Commentator, Fall 2007.

By Andrew Geissinger

When someone objects to the seizure of land through the use of eminent domain, the supporters of the seizure frequently respond that the use of eminent domain to seize property is perfectly acceptable because, after all, the property owner will be paid for the property. In fact, the government entity making the seizure will pay the owner the fair market price. One township supervisor once stated, “We will not pay more than the property is worth. We owe the property owners no less than the market value for their property, and we owe it to the township’s taxpayers to pay no more than the fair price

Note: This article first appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of The Lehigh Valley Commentator. It is republished in this online version with minor revisions of the original.

By Andrew Geissinger

In the Spring of 2011, a Reuters wire service article by Tom Doggett appeared in various newspapers which alleged that “when the sign at a service station advertises regular gasoline for sale at $3.89-9/10 a gallon, most drivers focus on the first three digits in the price and think the cost is $3.89. Drivers actually pay $3.90.”

This article first appeared in issue #15, Summer 2011, of the Lehigh Valley Commentator.

Baseball is an American icon. Quite a few avid hockey fans I know feel that there is no other sport. Like many others, I love football and baseball (sorry, hockey fans). While many Americans view various sports and their favorite teams with great passion, is there any doubt that politicians, who thrive on doing what the public “wants,” would mix their political careers with support for sports stadiums?

In the movie “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, is a young struggling Iowa farmer. He hears a voice that keeps saying, “If you build it, he will come.” Kinsella eventually plows under part of his cornfield,

Note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of The Lehigh Valley Commentator.

No sooner did the Supreme Court hand down its 5 – 4 decision in January 2010 in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case than many major news organizations and most proponents of progressive political views began to treat us to extensive commentary on how extreme this decision was. Commentators frequently claimed the ruling will destroy democracy in the U.S. and allow virtually unlimited special interest influence in our elections.

Presidential Advisor David Axelrod’s comment is typical. Axelrod stated, “Under the ruling of the Supreme Court, any lobbyist could go in to any legislator and say, ‘If you don’t vote our way on this bill, we’re